Margaret

Did you know?

A few things about Margaret you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Margaret

Margaret Atwood

Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, pépiniériste and inventor (born 1939)

Choose Margaret and your child shares a first name with Margaret Atwood, a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, pépiniériste and inventor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Margaret, like who?” Margaret Atwood's Wikipedia article is available in 110 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Margaret Atwood on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Collision Conf, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 660 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Margaret, 2,436 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Margaret would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryMargaret has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Margarets, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1911, when it ranked #3. Today it's #112, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📍Where it's lovedMargaret is most popular in Washington, D.C., where it ranks #21, followed by Alabama (#35) and North Dakota (#53). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningIn Greek, Margaret means “pearl”.

About the name Margaret

Margaret is a girl name meaning “pearl”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with M and ending in “-ret”. US birth records list Margaret for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1911, when it ranked #3 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #112, with 2,436 babies.